Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of faucet assemblies and internal faucet water way assemblies and components thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to such faucet assemblies and internal faucet water way assemblies, wherein a portion of the internal waterway assembly of the faucet is formed of a polymeric or composite material.
Description of Related Art
Traditionally, faucet assemblies have been formed with copper and/or brass internal water way structures. The structures fit under a metallic outer cover plate structure which may have a separate faucet spout or outlet portion having various internal faucet water way configurations for delivery of water from within the faucet assembly base to the outlet through an aerator or similar outlet in the spout. Such internal structures are supported by and/or are built within an internal metallic support base which may also have a separate putty plate. Such faucet assemblies are mounted to a mounting surface using mounting methods known in the art. Over time, cost and expense of using metallic parts has given rise to attempts to create internal water way structures or other parts within a faucet assembly, such as within a valve cartridge of a faucet assembly or within the exit portion of the faucet assembly of polymeric materials.
Also in an attempt to create new design possibilities and provide a different option installation, some manufacturers have developed spread faucet assemblies wherein individual portions of the faucet (valve assembly or spout) are not within a standard faucet cover and base, but are each independently mounted on a mounting surface and connected using various mechanisms beneath the mounting surface. Such structures tend to be more complex to install than a standard faucet structure with the internal water way structure located under a common cover within a housing.
In designing such new faucet structures that may included polymeric molded pieces, molding of the internal pieces while maintaining a sanitary and securely connected internal water way structure has given rise to various configurations. When the exterior configuration or shape of the faucet housing changes, the internal water way structure and the interior of the faucet assembly outlet faucet portion must be reconfigured to work within various outer structures.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,793,677 and 7,406,980 show what is identified as a connecting water way structure which may include plastic which extends between a valve body section and a faucet spout portion. A bridge faucet with an elevated bridge extending above the mounting surface of the sink is taught as well in U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,384. The patent describes a way to connect a faucet spout to the elevated bridge using a coupler having a rod that can be actuated by a tool from its upper end.
U.S. Publication No. 2011/0259456 A1 discloses a polymeric bridge for a lavatory faucet. The faucet has a coupler that is molded plastic and includes two valve supports molded within the coupler and two valve interfaces extending upwardly to receive a gasket. An outlet tube sits within the spout and the tube connects into the bridge. Hot and cold water inlet tubes are over-molded into the device so that the water can flow through the over-molded inlet into the connector and into the coupler to a central outlet. A method for molding a water way is also included in which tubes and mandrels are used to form valve interfaces.
Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 201475416UA teaches a core body structure for a faucet bridge that has a molded three-way bridge insert and then a secondary molded water channel body molded over the bridge insert. The body and insert have a through hole and a water outlet for a faucet tube. The end surfaces of the three-way bridge insert are each provided with a curved surface structure to mate with a vertical shank or pipe. The outer surface of the three-way bridge insert after secondary molding is completely embedded in the molded water channel body. This faucet helps save cost of metallic parts but must be formed by pre-assembly and two-part insert molding for different size faucet designs. The placement of the curved surfaces of the bridge insert against the shank or pipes holds the bridge steady but allows for the faucet tube attachment in only a single molded location once secondary molding has the entire body structure fixed.
Thus, while there are prior art structures incorporating polymeric materials in one or more features of a water way assembly, or forming a over-molded valve structures connected to inlet and outlet tubes for water supply, there is still a need in the art for an improved, flexible design using polymeric materials or formed as a hybrid structure incorporating both metallic and polymeric materials, that minimizes the use of copper and/or brass materials in the faucet assembly except if desired, for example in a high pressure water way area, is easy to assemble and install and keeps manufacturing costs low by eliminating some of the complexity or large number of internal parts in an internal water way assembly of a faucet assembly. Further, a need in the art exists for such faucet water way assemblies, wherein such assemblies have simplified manufacturing options and versatility, while maximizing the ability to provide a wide variety of faucet design configurations using only a few basic and standard component parts.